Opinion
Most Newcastle United fans are no doubt sick to the back teeth of the debate that’s been raging around Alexander Isak.
The latest utterings from Eddie Howe have cemented what many of us thought but didn’t want to believe.
Alexander Isak wants away and how he’s behaved, means he isn’t being considered for first team action.
Either Liverpool come up with a more realistic offer and we sign a replacement, or he rots away, unless he significantly modifies his behaviour.
On Friday night, before our friendly encounter with Barcelona’s other team, in a moment of boredom I reached out to a few acquaintances on WhatsApp with a picture of our number 14 sliding on his knees on the hallowed St James’ Park turf after scoring one of his 62 goals in a black and white shirt.
I simply asked the question, ‘Hero or Villain’.
As far as I’m aware, the vast majority of these acquaintances, who are Newcastle United fans, don’t regularly comment on The Mag or write articles that are published.
These Newcastle United fans come from a fair cross section of our fanbase, most (but not all) live locally, with jobs ranging from the civil service, to postal services, logistics, accounting, banking, transportation, shipping, teaching, manufacturing, the legal profession and the media. Oh, and one of them is a heart surgeon (don’t ask how that one has become acquainted with a reprobate like me)!
**Anyway, here goes with the feedback from these Newcastle United fans to my very simple Alexander Isak question:**
**Positives (there were some)**
_Scored the winner in the cup final_
_Ran the Mackems ragged_
_Best CF since [Shearer](https://www.themag.co.uk/2025/08/alan-shearer-on-what-is-and-isnt-happening-at-newcastle-united-one-week-before-season-kicks-off/)_
_Hero? Is that a question – won us the League Cup and he can make a huge contribution on the PSR front_
_We’d have been bottom half of the league without him_
_We need to keep him for this season_
_Great player and I understand he wants to be the best in the world_
_He’s been a pleasure to have watched_
_Could have been another legend if he had seen out another season and should have demanded the number 9 shirt_
_He has been great for us_
_I want him to stay_
**Now for the negatives (note that some remarks have been suitably sanitised for publication purposes)**
_He’s had his head turned_
_Bad advice from his agent_
_He’s clearly cheesed off some of the players_
_Should have kept his mouth shut_
_Villain!_
_It’s very difficult to see him in a black and white shirt again_
_Fool / mug_
_Totally wrecked the transfer window – we cannot do or plan anything whilst he sits in the huff somewhere in a mansion_
_All in all, very selfish_
_Greedy_
_Hasn’t behaved at all well_
_I’d be happy if we can get £150 million for him_
**My conclusions**
I’m not sure the reaction from my sample leads to any clear-cut leanings to the question of whether Alexander Isak is a hero or villain.
What it does show is that some fans still recognise and appreciate what [Isak](https://www.themag.co.uk/2025/08/eddie-howe-on-gordon-injury-atleti-defeat-goalscorers-challenges-ahead-and-alexander-isak-newcastle-0-atletico-madrid-2-newcastle-united/) has done for us.
There were also some negative comments in relation to NUFC and our owners, one or two pointed remarks concerning how badly the club has managed the whole sorry episode.
Finally, for what it’s worth, the answer I gave when asked was this, “He’ll always be a hero in my eyes for scoring the winner at Wembley.”